Indonesian maid inherits $5.45 mln in Saudi Arabia

An Indonesian woman who came to Saudi Arabia to work as a domestic servant became a millionaire after she inherited SR20 million ($5.45 million) from her late former-employer-turned-husband, according to a report in Okaz newspaper on Monday.

The maid came to the kingdom nearly a decade ago to work for a property tycoon in the Western town of Taif and worked with him for nearly two years before they married the newspaper reported.

“But the marriage did not last long as the man died later … he left behind a vast investment empire for his wife and other family members,” the newspaper reported.

As her late husband’s wealth consisted of several plots of land and apartment buildings across Taif, the Indonesian woman decided to stay in Saudi Arabia until she was able to obtain her inheritance.

However, after several years of ownership disputes among the heirs, trial judge Sheikh Abdurrahman al-Dakhil ruled that the Indonesian maid was entitled to part of her husband’s estate.

After nearly eight years, the court decided to sell all his property at the request of his family. His properties fetched nearly SR300 million ($80 million), of which the Indonesian woman was granted SR20 million.